Compressing device for collapsible paste tubes



Feb. 24, 1959 D. s. SPEESE COMPRESSING DEVICE FOR COLLAPSIBLE PASTETUBES Filed June 25, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. I DAN/5L S. SPEESf'W/ Z T w n, m

D. S. SPEESE Feb. 24, 1959 2,874,8 76 COMPRESSING DEVICE FORCOLLAPSI-BLE PASTE TUBES Filed June 25, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 iiiamwhmINVENTOR.

DAN/[Z .9. $2558 BY /4 i an WIN I W I A TTOENE) COMPRESSING DEVICE FOR'COLLAPSIBLE PASTE TUBES 1 Daniel S. Speese, Detroit, Mich. ApplicationJune 25, 1957, Serial No. 667,922 Claims. c1. 222-1o2 This inventionrelates to devices for compressing collap sible paste tubes to expeltheir contents.

An object of the invention is to provide a highly eiiicient. device ofsuch nature, designed for economical manufacture. 1

Another object is to provide in such a device a driving and ardrivenroller between which a paste tube is progressively compressed, andsupporting means to journal said rollers.

. Another object is to mount'the driving roller on a fixed axis, and tomount the driven roller for lateral movement to and from the first,alternatively affording a tubecompressing position or a tube-releasingposition.

A further object is to provide means for rotative actuation of thedriving roller and to provide a ratchet wheel and pawl effective in thetube-eompressing position of the rollers to limit rotation to atube-compressing direction.

Another object is to provide spring means to. urge the driven rollertoward the tube-compressing position.

Still another object is to provide cam means to counteract said springmeans and establish thedriven roller in its tube-releasing position.

A further object is to provide a deflector to engage the.

progressively compressed portion of the paste tube and direct it toavoid the rollers.

These and various other objects are attained in the constructionhereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Fig. 1 is aside elevational view of the device.

Fig. ,2 is a bottom plan view taken on the line 2-Z of Fig. 1 androtatedflninety degrees clockwise relative toFig.1. t t i r Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section taken on the line 4-9-4 otyFig. 2 and rotatedninety degrees 'eounter-clockwise thereto. a

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 494 of Fig. 2 androtated ninety degrees clockwise thereto, showing the mechanism in itstube-compressing position.

.Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing themechanism in itstube-releasing position. i

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectiontaken on the line 6-}6. of Fig. 4, androtated ninety degrees counter-clockwise thereto.

Fig. 7 is a partial horizontal sectional view taken on the line 7-7 ofFig-4. and rotated ninety. degre'es'eounterclockwise thereto... t t.

Fig. 8 is a partial vertical view taken onthe line 8-8 of Fign'.

In these views, the reference character 1 designates a housing havingside walls 2, a top wall 3,. and' a rear wall 4. The rear wall ispreferably formed with a notch 4a to engage a conventional bracket 5fixed as by screws 6 to a wall 7. Screws 8 may be used in additiontoyoras an alternative to such bracket.

Between the lower forward extent of said side walls, a driving roller 9having reduced end portions 9a, 9b is revoluble on a fixed axis. The endportion 9a journals in a bearing 10, which projects through a side walland 2 mounts a collar 11 secured by a set screw 11a. The other endportion 9b journals in and projectsthrough abearing 12 set into theopposite side wall, and terminally carries an actuating knob 13. P i Apair of hell cranks 14 are mounted on aligned pivot elements 15 whichextend through annular spacers 1'6 and are respectively fixed in theside walls 2. Downward- 1y extending work arms 14b of said bell cranksreceive between them a driven roller 17. The end portions of the" roller17 are reduced in diameter and journaled in the work arms 14b on an axisparallel to that of the T driving roller 9.

fl arms 14b of said bell crank, which end portions are pref mitted tosnap the driven roller 9343 by rotation of the roller 9 by its knob 13.

A pair of springs 18 mounted on pins 19 react between fixed pins 20 andpins 21 projecting from thework arms 14b, strongly urging the latterabout their pivotal axis to bring theroller 17 into a tube-compressingproximity to the roller 9. In such position a requisite slight spacingof the rollers is effected by collars 22 carried by the driving roller 9on its aforesaid end portions 9a, 9b, and of slightly greater diameterthan such roller. Such collars peripherally abut the end portions 140!of the work erably arcuately formed to a radius slightly exceeding thatof the driven roller 17. The slight spacing thus achieved prevents theperipheries of the rollers from an otherwise severe collision when thesprings 18 are per- 17 into the tube-compressing position.

The sealed end of an ordinary paste tube A (Fig. 3) is progressivelyupwardly drawn between and compressed by the rollers 9 and 17 to expelits contents, as desired, When the rollers are in their tube-compressingposition, such rotation is permitted in one direction only. Totpreventreverse rotation and consequent unintentional ejection of a pastetube,.a ratchet wheel 23, coaxially affixed toa collar 24 by rivets 25,is mounted on the roller 9, being rernovablyl secured on the end portion9b thereof by a set screw 26 in said collar.

pawl 27 is pivotally positioned by a pin 28 for engagement with anddisengagement from the ratchet wheel.

The rearwardly extending power arm 290i said third bell crank isprovided with a pin 36. A spring 31 mounted on a pin 32, reacts betweenthe pin 30 and the surface of a cam 35a to urge the pawl into engagementwith said F ratchet wheel.

' walls, are hubs 34 and 35 secured by set screws 36. Such a Rearwardlyelongated from the pivots 15, power arms 14c ofthe bell cranks 14overhang a rock shaft 33*parallel to the rollers and terminallyjournaled in the side wallsl. Near the rock shaft ends, adjacent to theside hubs are formed with similar arcuate cams 34a, 35a to actuate the'arms 14c. A lever 37 extends downwardly from the cam 34a for rockingthe shaft between limiting positions established by stop pins 37a. Asclearly seen 1 in Figs. 3 and 7, when the lever is at the rearward limitg away from the roller 9,

of its travel the cams 34a, 35a are disengaged from the power arms 14c.Thus, the springs 18 are free to urge the bell cranks 14 about theirpivotal axis bringing the driven roller 17 toward the driving roller 9to their tubecompressing position. Moving the lever to its forward limitof travel rocks the shaft33, and, of course, the aforesaid cams toengage the latter with the power arms 14c,

causing a rearward movement of' the work arms 14b}v the lever is movedto its forward position, as the cam 35a acts on the corresponding powerarm 140, the cam 35b acts on said power arm 29 to disengage the pawlfromthe ratchet wheel (Fig. 5). Such disengagement al-: lows reverserotation of the roller 9 by the knob 13 to facilitate, if necessary, theremoval of an emptied paste tube.

. It'will be apparent, that as a paste tube is progressive- 1y drawnbetween the rollers, the length of the collapsed portion of such tubewill increase. To avoid entanglementof said compressed portion with thebell cranks 14 and the rollers 9 and 17, it is preferred to secure tothe top wall of the housing a deflector 38 of sheet material bent toextend toward and terminate in proximity to the roller 9. It has beenfound that the compressed portion of the paste tube, encountering thedeflector 38, is directed arcuately over the roller 17 and downwardlyfrom the housing.

In use, the device may be attached as previously described to anyconvenient surface. With the lever 37 at its forward limit, the sealedend of a paste tube may be readily inserted between the parted rollers 9and 17..

The lever 37 is then moved to its rearward limiting position, and thesprings 18 force the roller 17 toward the roller 9, whereby the tube isstrongly gripped between them. As the contents of such tube arerequired, the cap thereof is'removed and the roller 9 is rotated by itsknob 13, drawing the tube upwardly between said rollers to force out itscontents. When the tube is empty, the lever 37 is moved to its forwardlimiting position, parting the rollers as described, for removal of suchtube and insertion of a full one.

The pressure applied to the two rollers by the springs 18, .issufficient that the tube is thoroughly emptied. The rollers arepreferably knurled or serrated to increase their grip on the tube.

What I claim is:

1. A paste tube compressing device comprising a supporting memberincluding side walls, a driving roller journaled between said side wallson a fixed axis, a pair of arms, a driven roller journaled between saidarms, pivot elements mounting the respective arms upon and between therespective side walls to afford movement of said driven roller, aboutthe axis of said elements, to and from the driving roller betweenalternative tubecompressing and tube-releasing positions, means torotatively actuate said driving roller whereby a paste tube may beprogressively drawn between and compressed by saidrollers, and itscontents progressively expelled when vsaid driven roller is in its tubecompressing position, a

spring urging the driven roller to said tube-compressing position, aratchet wheel rigidly coaxially carried by the driving roller, a pawl, apivot element mounting said pawl on a side wall, a spring urging saidpawl about its; pivotal axis to engage the ratchet wheel and preventreverse rotation of the driving roller, a rock shaft journaled betweenthe side walls, a cam rigidly mounted on the rock shaft and effective onone of said arms to move the driven roller to its tube-releasingposition, a second cam rigidly mounted on the rock shaft and effectiveto disengage the pawl from the ratchet wheel to afford reverse rotationof said driving roller for removal of an empty paste tube, and means torotatively actuate said rock shaft, said cams taking substantiallyconcurrent effect responsive to such rotative actuation.

2. A paste tube compressing device comprising a supporting memberincluding side walls, a driving roller journaled between said side wallson a fixed axis, a pair of hell cranks, having power arms and work arms,a driven roller journaled between said work arms, aligned gamete a pivotelements mounting the respective bell cranks upon pawl, a'pivot elementmounting said pawl on a side wall,

a spring urging said pawl about its pivotal axis to engage the ratchetwheel and prevent reverse rotation of the driving roller, a rock shaftjournaled between said side walls, a cam effective on one of said powerarms to T move the roller to its tube-releasing position,"a second cameffective to disengage said pawl from the ratchet wheel to alfordreverse rotation of the driving roller for removal of an empty pastetube, and means to rotative-' ly actuate said rock shaft, said camstaking substantially concurrent effect responsive to such actuation.

3. A paste tube compressing device as described in claim 2, said firstand second cams being integrally formed upon a hub rigidly secured tothe rock shaft.

4. A paste tube compressing device comprising a supporting memberincluding side walls, a driving roller journaled between said side wallson a fixed axis, a pair of bell cranks, having power arms and work arms,a driven roller journaled between said work arms, aligned pivot elementsmounting the respective bell cranks upon and between the respective sidewalls to atford move- Y wheel and prevent reverse rotation of thedriving roller,

ment of the roller, about the axis of said elements, to and from thedriving roller between alternative tubereleasing and tube-compressingpositions, means to rotatively actuate the driving roller whereby apaste tube may be progressively drawn between and compressed by saidrollers and its contents progressively expelled when said driven rolleris in its tube-compressing position, a

spring acting on one of said work arms to urge said roller to saidtube-compressing position, a ratchet wheel rigidly"coaxially carried bythe driving roller, a third bell crank having a power arm and a workarm, a pivot' element mounting said bell crank on a side wall, said workarm being formed with a pawl, a spring urging said pawl about itspivotal axis to engage the ratchet a rock shaft journaled between saidside walls, a cam effective on one of said power arms to move the rollerto its tube-releasing position, a second cam carried by said rock shaftand eifective upon said power arm to disengage said pawl from saidratchet wheel to afford reverse rotation of said driving roller forremoval of an empty paste tube, and means to rotatively actuate saidrock shaft, said cams taking substantially concurrent effect responsiveto such actuation.

"5. A paste tube compressing device as described in claim 4, said firstand second cams being integrally formed upon a hub rigidly secured tothe rock shaft.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent v UNITED STATES PATENTS1,156,106

Smart Oct. 12,1915 1,783,101 Sehaefer Nov. 25, 1930 2,622,768 HatchetDec. 23, 1952' FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland J an. 16, 1931

